success of Henry VIII's rule

• effectiveness of Henry VIII's rule

  1. faction
  2. managing succession
  3. economy
• faction

  -  Planned to leave a ‘balanced’ Regency Council to run the country, with neither faction dominant

  - Gardiner removed & Norfolk in the Tower – Catholic faction lack of power
• faction (counter)

  -  Denny in charge of Privy Chamber (controlled access to king’s private rooms) & Paget appointed as Henry’s Private Secretary (controlled written information that reached the king)

  - Able to filter who had access to the king & influence him in their private conversations – reformists dominating access
• managing succession

  -  Planned to leave a ‘balanced’ Regency Council for Edward

  -  First part of Henry’s will drawn up in December 1546, w/ king’s knowledge & was witnessed

  - Cromwell dead – leaving Henry to be his own chief minister from 1540-46
• managing succession (counter)

  -  Reformist-dominated Regency Council by the time of Henry’s death (undermined by Denny & Paget)

  -  First part of Henry’s will left room for additions – details about Regency Council added when Henry was close to death & couldn’t prevent the changes

  -  Task made easier for reformists – Gardiner removed & Norfolk in the Tower – reformist plot to seize control

  -  Dry stamp used by Denny; signature unneeded for will

  - Denny & Paget able to keep Henry’s death quiet for several days – allowed reformists to consolidate power, & allowed Seymour to exercise virtual royal power
• economy

  - Very few domestic developments (cheap) as Henry was more interested in foreign affairs
• economy (counter)

  -  Most money had been spent on foreign affairs, so the economy was struggling

  -  Debasement of coins – amount of silver within coins had been lowered

  - Had to buy money on Antwerp money market